Importance of Nutrition Labels

by Jessica Bruso

Healthy fresh fruits and vegetables don't contain nutrition labels.

Nutrition facts labels tell you about the nutrition of a particular product. This information includes serving size, number of servings in the package, calories per serving and the amount of various nutrients contained in the product. Once you understand the labels, they can help you follow a healthy diet and make it easier to choose the most nutritious foods.

Making Healthy Food Decisions

A study published in "Food Policy" in June 2010 found that nutrition labels do affect people's food choices. When you are deciding between two different foods, you can look at the nutrition labels to determine which food is more nutritious. You can compare the labels to determine which foods are lowest in calories, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar. These are the ingredients you should limit for good health. Checking the ingredients list will help you avoid foods that contain additives or other ingredients that you want to avoid. The foods with the fewest ingredients and those that only contain ingredients that you would have in your own kitchen are healthier than those with lots of ingredients you don't recognize.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Reading nutrition labels can help you make the right food choices when you are trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain. In a study published in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" in April 2000, people told by their doctors to lose weight for health reasons who used nutrition labels consumed fewer calories, more fiber and less saturated fat, sugar and carbohydrates than the people who didn't use nutrition labels.

Nutrient Consumption

Many Americans don't consume enough fiber, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C, so these are always included on nutrition labels. You can use the percent daily values listed on the label to give you a good idea which foods are high or low in these essential nutrients. Foods that contain at least 10 percent of the daily value for a nutrient are good sources of that nutrient, and foods that contain 20 percent of the daily value for a nutrient are considered high in that nutrient.

Considerations

While nutrition facts labels can be helpful, not everyone understands the information included or the importance of it. A study published in the "American Journal of Preventive Medicine" in November 2006 found that people who had low levels of literacy and numeracy often didn't understand these labels and that even some people who were more literate sometimes had trouble interpreting nutrition facts labels. Doctors and other health providers need to provide education to their patients on how to use these labels when making dietary recommendations.

What's your dietary preference?

Gluten Free

Omnivore

Paleo

Vegetarian

Vegan

Which of these foods do you like to eat?

Fruit

Legumes

Meat & Poultry

Fish

Nuts & Seeds

Vegetables

Healthy fats

What kinds of foods would you like to incorporate more in your diet?

Healthy fats

Vegetables

Meat, Poultry & Fish

Grains

Fruits

Which of these fats do you like?

Olive oil

Avocados

Salmon

Olives

Sesame oil

Almonds

Which of these vegetables do you like?

Broccoli

Kale

Carrots

Peppers

Sweet potatoes

Which of these proteins do you like?

Beef

Chicken

Tilapia

Turkey

Eggs

Pork

Which of these grains do you like?

Whole wheat

Brown rice

Oatmeal

Cous Cous

Bulgar

Which of these fruits do you like?

Apples

Bananas

Pears

Kiwis

Oranges

Peaches

Pomegranates

Berries

Which of these foods do you like to eat?

Fish

Nuts

Vegetables

Meat & Poultry

Fruits

These are kinds of fish you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

Halibut

Red Snapper

Tilapia

Salmon

These are some nuts you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

Almonds

Cashews

Pistacios

Walnuts

These are some vegetables you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

Broccoli

Peppers

Kale

Carrots

Lettuce

Cabbage

These are some proteins you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

About the Author

Based in Massachusetts, Jessica Bruso has been writing since 2008. She holds a master of science degree in food policy and applied nutrition and a bachelor of arts degree in international relations, both from Tufts University.

Photo Credits

Have Feedback?

Thank you for providing feedback to our Editorial staff on this article. Please fill in the following information so we can alert the Healthy Eating editorial team about a factual or typographical error in this story. All Fields are required.